Too Hot To Handle

Derek and I ran the Too Hot To Handle 15K race at White Rock Lake in Dallas this morning. Originally, I was just going to do the 5K run but Derek talked me in doing the 15K (9.3 miles) with him, which was one loop around the water. (I can't believe that I've lived in the DFW metroplex for over 10 years and this is the first time I've gone all the way around White Rock Lake.)

It was a pretty nice day with some early morning clouds so the sun wasn't too intense. As the morning wore on, the sun grew stronger and the humidity became more apparent, but the route had quite a bit of shade and was mostly flat, which was very nice.

Derek was a great motivator and I was able to keep up with him at a 10-min/mile pace for the first 6 1/2 miles. Our splits were 31:05 for the first 5K and 32:03 for the second. However, I ran out of gas after that (and had to stop and use the restroom) so I split off from him. I ended up finishing at 1:40:52 with 37:44 for the last 5K. I was 573rd out of 789 finishers. Derek finished 505th with a time of 1:36:22. Great job, Derek!

Overall, I am very happy with my effort, especially considering that 15K is the longest run distance that I have run for an organized event ever. And the last 10K that I ran was probably in 1993 or 1994!

Afterward, my legs did cramp up a little bit. Luckily, a couple SaltStick capsules and a self-massage helped - I was worried that I would have trouble pushing in the clutch on my 5-speed-transmission vehicle. But other than the cramps and a little tenderness on some of my toes, I am feeling pretty good. I guess tomorrow morning will be a real test of how much of a pounding this event was on my legs. Here's hoping for the best ...

Now, I'm looking forward to doing another 15K (Run For Shelter 5K & 15K), and possibly a 20K (Tour Des Fleurs 10K & 20K) and/or half-marathons (Dallas Running Club Half, Dallas White Rock Lake Marathon & Half-Marathon), this fall/winter ...